Photo: Sokoto Community Guards
The recent happenings in Zamfara state where the Commandant of the State Community Protection Guards, Colonel Rabiu Garba was sacked over his utterances has indicated how unserious some of our Governors who by the Constitution are supposed to be the Chief Security Officers in their states are in tackling security challenges in their respective states.
The idea of coming up with community guards came to forth at the regional meeting of the Northwest Governors, particularly of states where banditry, kidnapping for ransom and cattle rustling are taking tolls.
At the meeting, the Governors resolved to establish community guards to complement the efforts of the conventional security operatives in addressing security issues in their states
So far, three states, namely Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto had since recruited and trained the guards but it appears that, only that of Katsina state are active while the rest are neither active nor visible on the streets with no official explanation as regards to their inactiveness.
Worried over their situation, the Zamfara state’s Commander resorted to the media, of course, because of their insistence in knowing why was it so, to complained over their constraints.
Garba was reported to have accused the state government of poor funding of the Community Protection Guards.
In the live programme at the Vision FM Radio Gusau, on Monday, Garba said that the state government has failed to give financial support to the Protection Guards since its creation in January this year.
He maintained that since its inauguration, the state government have not provided them with the takeoff grant.
Garba also said that officials of the protection guards were paid their salary only once since they were appointed four months ago.
He added that members of the Protection Guards have been battling with poor funding from the state government, a situation which he said has been crippling their activities in the fight against banditry.
He said, “We were paid our allowances only once since we assumed duty four months ago.”
He lamented that the state government has stopped fueling their patrol vehicles, as such, they were finding it extremely difficult to fight bandits.
He added, “Lack of funds and other logistics are responsible for our non-performance.
“You trained somebody, gave him a gun to fight criminals, then you refuse to pay him his monthly allowance, and you cannot fuel his vehicle. How do you expect him to perform?
“I swear to God that since the time I assumed office in January this year as the Commandant of the state CPG, I collected only N98, 000.
“Similarly, I have been buying fuel with my own money whenever we are going out for operation.
“This can never happen anywhere in the world.”
Garba blamed some people in the government for sabotaging the efforts of Governor Dauda Lawal in the fight against banditry.
He said, “I know that His Excellency, Governor Dauda Lawal, is very much committed to the fight against banditry but there are some people in his cabinet who are sabotaging his good efforts for their selfish reasons.
“I have tried to reach out to the governor to notify him of the situation we are facing, but he is not accessible.
“I contacted some prominent Islamic scholars in the state like Sheikh Ahmed Umar Kanoma and Sa, idu Maikwano, who I thought could talk to the governor on the issue, but unfortunately there is no development.”
Garba, therefore, warned that if the situation did not improve, members of the Community Protection Guards would have no alternative than to resign before the situation went out of control.
“We are ready to resign our appointments if we do not see any change,” he concluded.
It was shortly after this interview was aired that, the state government issued a statement, suspending the Commandant and replacing him with his deputy, a retired Major in the Nigerian Army.
The situation in Zamfara seemed to be the same with what is happening in Sokoto state, the only difference was that, in Sokoto the guards lack the bravery to come out and tell the world their current situation.
It was learnt that, there was once an attempt by the guards to protest over their perceived negligence even before their graduation but for the timely intervention of a top government official whose name was not given, but many suspected him to be the Security Adviser to the Governor.
Since their passing out about two months ago, the guards have remained inactive and the Secretary to the State Government, Bello Sifawa had allegedly barred anybody to speak to the press on the state of the community guards.
It was learnt that, the Reporter of Aljazeerah Television had once made fruitless attempt to visit the guards during their training.
Many people in the state have been asking why the silence on the community guards while it was established with the public fund and for the benefit of the people of the state who have been vulnerable to bandits’ attacks and abduction.
Another question generally asked in the state is “why the state government is yet to provide them with logistics for them to establish their presence in places where they have been posted to?
The state government was said to have procured 30 vehicles and 700 motorcycles for the guards which were said to be gathering dust at the government house.
The most annoying thing is that, state commandant and sub-commanders are yet to be appointed for the guards and there have no been offices for them to operate and the Security Adviser to the Governor, Col Ahmed Usman (rtd) has been shunning the media, probably to avoid any conflict with those powerful people surrounding the Governor, particularly the SSG.
Our findings, revealed that, the Adviser has been sidelined in the scheme of things and the ongoing security summit organized by the United States of America for the Governors of Northwest proved the assertion as when other Governors attended the summit with their Commissioners or Advisers on Security as the case may be, the Sokoto team consisted of the deputy Governor of the state with the Special Adviser on Economy to Governor Aliyu and one other Commissioner as if their economy is more important than the lives of their people.
So the question begging for answer is, is the Sokoto state government really serious about tackling insecurity?
Sada Mohammed wrote this from Tamaje Area.
